'It was very solemn and very respectful' - how Harborough and Lutterworth still managed to pay their respects on Remembrance Sunday despite the restrictions

An emotion-charged tribute was paid to the fallen at a slimmed down Remembrance Sunday services in Market Harborough and Lutterworth yesterday (Sunday).

Wreaths were laid by the Royal British Legion (RBL), Royal Naval Association, Royal Air Force Association, Harborough District Council and Harborough MP Neil O’Brien at 11am at the War Memorial on The Square in Market Harborough.

A handful of armed forces veterans and residents gathered to pay their respects at a safe distance amid the new national Covid-19 lockdown.

Click here to see our photos from the event, which we published on Remembrance Sunday.

Stewart Harrison, 73, chairman of the Market Harborough branch of the RBL, said: “It was very solemn and very respectful – and actually went better than I thought it would.

“This is the most important day, the most revered event, of the year for us.

“So we were all determined to stage some sort of ceremony to salute the heroic men and women who have served, fought and died for their country in the two world wars as well as all other recent conflicts.”

The RAF and Army veteran added: “The highly-evocative, immortal words of the Kohima Epitaph were read out by our president John Morley.

“When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.

“A bugler beautifully played the Last Post and Reveille.

“I’d also like to say a massive thank you to everyone throughout Harborough who went out to stand on their doorsteps at 11am on Sunday to pay tribute to our Glorious Dead.

“We will stage a two-minute silence at our War Memorial on Remembrance Day itself, Wednesday, November 11, and we will lay a wreath at the Memorial Gates.”

A service also went ahead in Lutterworth yesterday as people across Harborough united to remember over one million servicemen killed in the two world wars alone.